You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 WEB
Exodus is one of five books in the Old Testament written by Moses. It is the second in order of the first five books of the bible attributed to him. As the man God chose to lead the Hebrews out of captivity in Egypt God spoke to Moses on Mount Horeb. After freeing the Israeites, Moses again returned to the mountain of God and received the Ten Commandments. Here, the mountain is identified as Mount Sinai. Scholars debate whether these are two different mountains or one in the same.
What is clear is that Moses gave the Israelites the commandments of God after descending from Mount Sinai. Upon encountering our Creator on the mountain, Moses records what happened there. He writes in Exodus 20:1-2, “And God spake all these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’ KJV”
The First Commandment
The first of these commandments is given in Exodus 20:3. With these words, God calls his people to follow his commands without consideration of any other deities. In Egypt, the Israelites encountered the polytheism of their oppressors. Everywhere else on Earth, people worshiped a variety of idols and conceptualizations of gods that conformed to the petty, materialistic nature of the human race.
In contrast, the one true God of Israel called his people away from idolatry and polytheism into the worship of the Most High God of creation. The first commandment reminds each believer of the love of God toward his people and his desire that they recognize the truth of his supremacy over all things.
God’s Love and Authority
God demonstrated his love by delivering Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians. In doing so, the Lord performed many miracles proving his power and authority. It is just and righteous that he commands the Israelites to “have no other gods” before him. In Egypt, the Lord proved his love, protection, and supernatural power before his people and their enemies.
In spite of their experiencing God’s might and love, as Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, the Hebrews in camp at the base of the mountain fashioned a golden calf to worship in his absence. This is a direct violation of the command to have no other gods before the one true God.
Love the Lord Your God
The construction of the golden calf also violated the second commandment which forbids idolatry. This serves as an illustration of how easily we fall into the worship of false gods and material as we seek to satisfy our own will rather than seeking to serve our Creator.
Jesus Christ taught us how to worship our heavenly Father and ensure that we place no other gods before him. When asked which is the greatest commandment, Jesus replied in Matthew 22:37-40, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. WEB”
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the guidance of your holy scripture. Thank you for the love revealed in your holy word. For me, there are no other gods before you. Lead me away from temptation. Give me strength and wisdom to follow your commandments. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: Love Comes From God
